Global Wind Power Capacity Grew Nearly One-Third in 2006

February 14, 2007

The global installed capacity to generate power from wind energy
reached 74,223 megawatts (MW) in 2006, a 32 percent increase,
according to the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC). The United States
now has the third-largest amount of installed wind power capacity,
with 11,603 MW, just slightly behind Spain, which has 11,615 MW.
Germany still leads the pack with 20,621 MW. Wind capacity is growing
fastest in the United States, with 2,454 MW of new wind power plants,
but Germany is also growing quickly, with 2,233 MW of new wind power.
The GWEC notes that the industry faced supply constraints for new wind
turbines in 2006, but it sees the rapid rate of growth as a sign that
the global wind energy industry is responding quickly to its
manufacturing challenges. See the
GWEC press release.